Exercising During Ramadan: Balancing Strength and Spirituality

In the coming years, Ramadan will be moving deeper into winter. This means that the days will also become shorter, but fasting will not become easier. That is why we have a number of tips for you if you want to continue your exercise schedule, whether it is at the gym or at home.

1.⁠ ⁠Adjust your goals. If your goal is to lose weight, improve your fitness or build muscle, put your goal on hold for now. During Ramadan, it is better to maintain your current shape than to continue on the same path. Because you cannot eat all day long, working out or losing weight can reduce your energy to such an extent that it affects your immune system. So instead of squeezing too much energy out of your body, it is better to maintain your shape.

2.⁠ ⁠Reduce the intensity of your exercises. By reducing the intensity, you can avoid using up your energy reserves, which will therefore not have a negative effect on your body. Do you normally sprint for ten minutes on the treadmill? Then jog for ten minutes during the month of Ramadan. Do you lift fourteen kilos in weights? Then reduce this to eight this month. And if you normally train for an hour, make it half an hour or three quarters of an hour.

3.⁠ ⁠Combine cardio and weights. Normally you do cardio and weightlifting on different days, but during Ramadan it is smarter to combine them in a circuit training and thus save some energy. A circuit training often consists of three to six exercises with which you burn fat in a short time but also work on your fitness. Think of push ups, sit ups and jumping jacks.

4.⁠ ⁠Be strict with yourself. Remember that you have to get up early in the morning and then you can't eat for 14 to 16 hours. Do what you can do in terms of fitness, but don't make it too hard for yourself. This month is about maintaining your fitness, not pumping yourself up. Be strict with yourself and keep this in mind.

5.⁠ ⁠Train when you feel fittest. Don't force anything. During the month of Ramadan, it's best to listen to your body. So don't train every day at 7pm because you agreed to do so. Do your exercises at the time of day when you feel fittest. For example, you can get up 20 minutes earlier, do your exercises, eat and go to sleep again. Pay close attention to the times when you feel fit the first few days and adapt accordingly.

Good luck in the month of Ramadan, both with fasting and exercising!